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PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

W. L. MARBLE.

FRONT SIGHT,

APPLICATION FILED KAY 31,1908.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

WEBSTER L. MARBLE, OF GLADSTONE, MICHIGAN.

FRONT SIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed May 31,1906. $erial No. 319,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBSTER L. MARBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gladstone, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Front Sights, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to front sights for firearms, and its object is to provide a sight that can be readily reversed end for end, or replaced by one of a different style, but which will be rigidly secured when in place.

The invention consists in the combination with the sight or bead carrier, of a holder provided with a catch for securing the carrier in place, and having a dovetail rib to engage with the usual transverse undercut groove in the barrel of the gun or other firearm.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the muzzle end of a barrel equipped with my improved sight. Fig. 2 is a cross section through the sight and barrel, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same, partly in elevation.

The bead-carrier has the usual base 1, which is made slightly dove-tailed. Above the base rises the thin web 2, supporting the cylindrical head 3, at each end of which is a bead 4, 4, one of which is preferably of 2 ivory and the other of gold; though the material and color of these beads is immaterial to the present invention, The base 1 is received in an undercut groove running lengthwise of a holder 5, which is provided on its under side with a transverse rib 6 having dove- 3 tailed edges to engage with the undercut groove formed across the barrel 7 in the usual manner; this holder being inserted in the same manner as the customary solid front sight.

In order to retain the bead carrier in the holder, the

3 5 under side of the base 1 has a shallow notch 8 with which engages a catch mounted on the holder, and consisting preferably of a spring 9 fastened at one end to the holder and having its other end accessible to the finger of the operator. The spring is preferably U-shaped, as shown,

and it is housed in a recess formed in the under side of the rib on the holder and intersecting the groove in its top. One end of the spring is secured at one end of said recess, while its free end has a button 10 projecting up through a suitable hole in the; holder. The spring is preferably thickened where it engages with the notch in the bead-carrier.

It will be seen that by pressing down on the button the spring will be disengaged from the notch, so that the carrier will be released and can be readily slid out of the holder. It can then be reversed, if desired, to bring the opposite bead into View; or, a sight of any other wellknown style may be substituted for it,such as targetsight carrying either a pin-head or a hollow bead. When the carrier is slid back into place, the spring snaps into the notch and holds the carrier firmly in place.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A front sight for fire-arms, comprising a holder having a longitudinal groove, a removable bead carrier adapted to he slid into said groove, and a spring catch engaging with the under side of said carrier for retaining it in place.

2. A front sight for fire arms, comprising a holder provided with a longitudinal groove, a removable bead carrier adapted to he slid into said groove and having a notch in its under side, and a spring catch engaging with said notch.

3. A front sight for fire arms, comprising a holder haw ing a longitudinal groove, a reversible bead-carrier adapted to he slid into said groove and provided with a notch, a spring catch secured to the holder and engaging with said notch, and a button on said catch.

4. A front sight for fire arms, comprising a holder having a recess in its under side and a longitudinal groove in its top, intersecting said recess, a U-shaped spring secured in the recess, and a bead carrier adapted to fit in the groove and provided with a notch to be engaged by said spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WEBSTER L. MARBLE.

Witnesses ELMER BEACH, CLAUDE HAWKINS. 

